NPR News Now - NPR News: 12-22-2024 10PM EST

Episode Date: December 23, 2024

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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janene Hurst. President-elect Trump is threatening to try to take back the Panama Canal over fees shippers are charged to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. If the principles, both moral and legal, of this magnanimous gesture of giving are not followed, then we will demand that the Panama Canal be returned to the United States of America in full, quickly, and without question. He made the comments to conservatives at the turning point USA's America Fest in Arizona. Panama's president, Jose Raul Molino, today reaffirmed his country's sovereignty over the canal, saying in a recorded

statement on X that every square meter of it and the surrounding area belongs to Panama. The U.S. relinquished control of the waterway to Panama in 1999 under a treaty signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1977. The country is a strong U.S. ally and the canal is crucial for Panama's economy. Trump also told those gathered at the conservative conference that his administration would deliver a booming economy and quickly settle wars in the Mideast and Ukraine without going into detail. Syria's new leader says all weapons in the country need to come under state control. He made that comment during a joint press conference with Turkey's foreign minister.

The BBC's Sebastian Asher has more. Asher has promised to unite Syria after years of war and division, insisting that Syrians themselves must come together to work for a better future without foreign interference. That was how he framed his call for the state to take over all military operations. But he was speaking to the foreign minister of Turkey, which has given him vital support. Ankara sees the Syrian Kurds as a terrorist group and wants to prioritize the dismantling of their armed forces. If Mr. Al-Sharif follows the Turkish lead, it may result in new conflict.

The BBC's Sebastian Usher reporting. Well, after a volatile weekend stocks, investors on Wall Street are facing a quieter week because of the holidays, as MPR's Rafael Nam reports. Trading is likely to slow down, especially after Congress avoided a shutdown this weekend. A slower week will likely be a welcome development after a rough week. All three major indexes tumbled last week with the Dow Jones declining for a third consecutive week as stocks continue to pair some of the strong gains seen after the election of Donald Trump in November. The path forward will ultimately depend on how

inflation and other economic data shape up. But there won't be many new reports coming this week. We'll get new home sales and consumer confidence, but not much else. Rafal Nam, NPR News. You're listening to NPR News from Washington. Millions of people are traveling for the holidays and some are facing delays at airports and also because of wet roads. Empire Chandeliers duster has more on how the weather is impacting travel across the U.S. Travelers at several airports like Boston Logan International Airport have experienced delays because of snow and ice. Heavy fog has also been the blame for hundreds of delays at San Diego International Airport.

Nearly 3,500 flights in and out of the U.S. have been delayed as of Sunday afternoon. The National Weather Service says rain will fall across parts of the West Coast early this week, and snow will blanket portions of the Great Lakes. Travel will also be messy for some on Christmas Eve because of thunderstorms and wintry weather. The National Weather Service also says travelers in the Northeast could see one to three inches of snow. TSA says travelers should arrive at airports early and allow more time to check luggage and move through airport security.

Chandelis Duster, NPR News. At the weekend box office, it's a holiday season battle of big-budget family movies and paramount pictures. Sonic the Hedgehog 3 took the top spot, debuting with an estimated $62 million in ticket sales. The two previous Sonic movies together grossed more than $700 million worldwide. This movie was made for a reported $122 million. In a distant second place, Mufasa the Lion King, with just $35 million, that was lower than expected. This movie cost more than $200 million to make.

I'm Janene Herbst, NPR News in Washington.